1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method and a system for supplying predetermined gas into body cavities of a specimen.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, laparoscopic surgeries have been practiced extensively. The laparoscopic surgery is executed for treating a patient with minimally invasive capability.
Specifically, in the laparoscopic surgeries, for example, a rigid endoscope, referred to as “rigidscope”, for observation is inserted into a body cavity, such as, an abdominal cavity of a patient. A treatment tool is inserted into the abdominal cavity to be guided to a site to be treated therein while an image of the inside of the abdominal cavity, which is obtained by the rigidscope, is observed.
In such a laparoscopic surgery, a first trocar through which an endoscope for observation is guided into a body cavity of a patient, and a second trocar through which a treatment tool is guided to a site to be treated are inserted to an abdominal part of the patient.
In order to ensure the endoscope field and a space to manipulate the treatment tool, insufflation gas is injected into the abdominal cavity through at least one of the first and second trocar, or another trocar.
While the abdominal cavity is distended by the insufflation gas, an image inside the abdominal is picked up by the endoscope inserted thereinto via the first trocar, which allows an operator to treat the site to be treated in the patient while observing the site and the treatment tool based on the image.
As insufflation gas, for example, carbon dioxide gas (hereinafter also referred to as CO2) has been used, which can be easily absorbed into a living body. Insufflators each supplying carbon dioxide gas have been developed.
During operation of such an insufflator, a state wherein carbon dioxide gas flows through a gas delivery member and another stare wherein a flow of the carbon dioxide gas passing through the gas delivery member is blocked have repeatedly appeared.
Specifically, a controller of the insufflator is configured to detect a pressure inside the abdominal cavity of the patient with a pressure sensor. In addition, the controller is configured to monitor a difference between a predetermined pressure value for the patient and a current pressure inside of the abdominal cavity of the patient, which is detected by the pressure sensor, thereby adjusting a flow-rate of the carbon dioxide gas based on the difference.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2000-139827 discloses a gas supply apparatus for endoscopes. The gas supply apparatus is used for supplying air into a body cavity, such as a stomach or the like, to check a state of an affected site in the body cavity.
With the disclosed gas supply apparatus, one end of a connecting tube coupled to and extending from a connecting port of the apparatus is coupled to a forceps inlet communicating with a treatment tool channel. Furthermore, a foot switch is electrically connected to the gas supply apparatus. The foot switch allows an operator to manipulate the gas supply apparatus remotely.
Accordingly, the operator operates at least one of the foot switch and a gas supply switch mounted on the apparatus to allow air to be delivered from the connecting port of the apparatus and supplied through the connecting tube, the forceps inlet and the treatment tool channel into a body cavity.
Recently, new attempts have been undertaken to utilize, while a first endoscope is inserted to the abdominal cavity in a patient through a trocar, therapeutic procedure in which an insert portion of a second endoscope is inserted to a lumen, such as the stomach, the large intestine, or the like, of the patient. The therapeutic procedure allows an operator to specify a site to be treated by visually referring to images picked up by the first endoscope and the second endoscope, respectively.
Even in such a case, insufflation gas for lumens, such as air, is fed into the lumen through the second endoscope inserted thereinto to distend the lumen. When the air is supplied into the lumen, however, it is difficult for the air to be absorbed into the living body. This may cause the lumen to remain inflated.
For this reason, in cases of insufflating gas into a lumen, such as the large intestine of a living body, using an endoscope CO2 regulator (hereinafter referred to as ECR) has been considered. The ECR is designed to output carbon dioxide gas (CO2), which is absorbed easily into the living body.